Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

drew_

ABS should not have a problem with chains at all. ABS simply detects when the brakes are about to lock up and cycles them to prevent this, hence still allowing braking and maneuvering at the same time. With locked front wheels, the steering ability is zero. What will be affected is handling since tire chains do reduce the tire contact patches. As for TCS, it simply detects if there is a speed difference between all four wheels (using the ABS wheel speed sensors) and brakes the drive wheels/reduce engine power if necessary.


Drew
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Vans and SUVs message boards

miniman

Thanks for your post. As I suspected, I will need to buy the remote. Radio Shack base unit is the plug-in and does not come with remote. My garage is not accessable to the van (long story...) so the Home Link is otherwise unused, and I was at least hoping to get it to activate some lights.
I have a friend w/ same system, will see if he has remote I can borrow.

miniman

This is speculation based upon what I have read here, but a poorly rating vehicle in CR does not necessarily spell disaster for owners.
I have heard that body hardware and electrical systems rated poorly -- relatively frequent problems like w/ the EX doors; recalls involving A/C line, rear window vent motors, sliding door latches... could cause a poor rating in a van that is not breaking down on the highway at every turn. Don't forget that this is a comparison, and an exceptionally weak performance on a few items can really drag down rating in this merely statistical analysis.
Now, Honda's list of Odyssey recalls does not exactly please me as an Odyssey owner, but having the applicable ones fixed in my van, and as new vans are made sans such problems, in comparing Odyssey to the competition I still feel I made the right purchase decision. Odyssey's engine is a sound machine, based upon existing designs for highly reliable cars. I knew what I was potentially getting into with the EX doors; however, there are times when it is nice not to tell one's self "I told you so..."
Of course, just my humble $0.02.

cwneed

I need to get a replacement remote for the key less entry system on my 99EX. I have heard that the dealer has to do it and that it is expensive. Is this correct? Is there any way to do it yourself and save a few bucks? thanks in advance.

grplavloff

"Maybe grplavloff can fill us in as to whether the '99 Odyssey is already listed as a used car to avoid on the website."

It isn't. I've written a letter to CR asking why this is so when vans that rated better per its user-based evaluations *did* end up on the list. I suspect that there is a discontinuity that results from leaving outdated reports on-line.

grplavloff

"Don't forget that this is a comparison, and an exceptionally weak performance on a few items can really drag down rating in this merely statistical analysis."

Yes, the 200K-odd vehicle owners who respond to thes surveys are simply "mere statistical analysis." I'd rather rely on a good old salesman speil any day !

billg7

I just got my Consumer Reports for March on 01/31/01 so you can expect the April issue out in one month or about 03/03/01. We will then know how the 99's are rated on reliability.

I have been getting the CR for years and you can expect the 2000 models to be more reliable then the 1999's and the the 2001 more reliable then the 2000.

I have a 2000 EX I picked up the end of the model year in June of 2000. Unlike some of the earlier 2000's it has not been involved in any recalls. I also have the Honda Care Warranty of 07/100/0. I will not have 100k miles on the car in 7 years so I will be covered for 7 years. If I should sell it to a private party the warranty is transferable and that should cover any reliability questions in the buyers mind.

I plan to keep the car at least 7 years and at the end of that period I doubt that the relibility will be much of an issue to who ever buys the car. So lets say I have to sell the car for $500 less. $500 is not a significant amount over 7 years that it would have any weight in my decision process. Even $1,000 would not be a big deal. You can figure the cost of a car at 35 cents per mile. So worst case The Odyssey costs me $36,000 over 100k miles versus $35,000 because of the CR reliability rating, and thats the worst case. It will not change my life. That is equal to 40 cents a day over 7 years.

I have now sold three cars to private parties and at no time was reliability considered by the buyer as they were old cars by the time I sold them. So I am not going to spend any time worrying about what CR rates the reliability of the 99 Odyssey in their April 2001 issue.

mojo66

That's a good way to look at it. I plan keeping our '01 model for at least 7 years, probably longer. CR ratings don't matter too much concerning resale unless they carry over to the 2nd and 3rd year models, and I think they have worked out most of the bugs from the '99 Ody. I've never paid too much attention to CR ratings because our Toyota Camry, which is annually rated by CR as one of the most reliable cars you can buy, has had many expensive problems. Just depends on how the line workers felt that day, I guess. :-)

galliver

Thanks caviller and dmathews3. Good advice about checking the MSRP sticker. I did in fact take my own advice, and called up Honda at 1-800-33-HONDA. They confirmed what you reported, namely that floormats *are* included on the LX.

I hate to consider the implications of the salesman's comment that they weren't included. Hopefully, he was thinking about the LX trimline for another model. Or, perhaps, floormats weren't included for the 2000 LX, but are for the 2001?

At any rate, I'll find out tomorrow. I'll let you know how it went. (This assumes of course that you care... :-) )

binkybarnes

well, my ody is at the service department as we speak. the service advisor just called and said:

--the rear spoilers are on national backorder (they claim to have never heard of one cracking!)

--they called honda techline and said the low fuel light/inaccurate gas gauge readings are normal since the tank is so flat. i was told AGAIN that having a warning with 8 gallons left in the tank was a GOOD THING! especially since the ody "only" gets 20 mpg! ...yeah, right

--they called honda techline about the homelink. they told me again that there is nothing they can do about increasing the range on my homelink remote since the problem is not with the unit but with the frequency of my genie garage door opener (which i might be able to accept EXCEPT that i have one button programmed for the entry gate to our subdivision and another button programmed for my sister's stanley garage door opener and those don't work unless my bumper is practically touching them either!)

otherwise, i'm very happy ;-)

caviller, i was looking for your posts on the latch car seats but i cannot find them THANKS TO THIS CONFOUNDED NEW TOWN HALL FORMAT. can you summarize for me or give me the msg no.? thanks

dhawk27

Don't have our EX-Navi yet, but have ordered an owners manual to help us get a headstart. One of the Honda salesmen I encountered along the way, mentioned that there were 2 owners manuals for the EX-Navi, one for the Ody and an additional one for the Nav system. Navi owners, do you have two? If so, where do I go to get the second one?
Tnks, de Hawkeye

timothyadavis

"--the rear spoilers are on national backorder (they claim to have never heard of one cracking!)"

Maybe they're playing the truth-by-literalism game we used to use on Mom ("I never saw one, Mom!" Heh heh heh, but I did see three!). And of course they are on national backorder; the things have been cracking regularly since the new design came out for model year 1999! Any that come in get installed on those owners who have noticed theirs cracked.

Aw well, you can comfort yourself in knowing that I have yet to hear a single report of any actual pieces falling off the cracked spoilers....

PS I forgot to mention. Mom wasn't fooled either....

caviller

Well, I'm not scrolling back to find it, either:-)

I posted on another forum, this one should be a static link:

http://www.babyexpressstores.com/wwwboard02/messages/3070.html

I also have some links to other sites on child seats including a compatibility list at my site:

http://www.caviller.com

ckon

Homelink: I don't understand the variation in performance of the Homelink buttons on the various Odys. I have one of the "rolling code" garage door openers and the Homelink button in the Ody has just about doubled the effective range compared to what my hand remote used to do. I can open my door from about four or five houses away, but others say they won't work until they're "at the door". I wonder if there's a flexible antenna inside the vehicle that may vary in position from one van to the next.

NAV manuals: While I was waiting for my van to be delivered, I called Honda at 800-999-1009 to request any info they could provide about the NAV units because so little was available. The gentleman I talked to suggested that he just send me an owner's manual. I was impressed! I don't know if they can do that every time someone asks, but it's worth a try. Good luck.

Chuck

jamescanine

Floor mats are standard on the LX for the 2001 model year. They were not for the 2000 LX's. Traction control is now standard on the 2001 LX's as well. Scotchguard or "Dri Clean" works well for fabric and carpet protection. Need periodic reapplication for the most benefit. They work well.

mmicot

My 2001 van is relatively new (600miles) but I can't believe how horrible the mileage is. In mostly city driving its getting between 13 and 14 MPG - and I'm not hard on the accelerator. Someone out there please tell me this isn't the norm. Anybody else have a poor MPG in break-in?

caviller

We have about 2200 miles on our 2001 LX. Average 17mpg in mostly suburban commuting.

Keep in mind that even though the EPA estimate is 18/25, they state that this can vary from 12-25 city and 15-31 highway. Depending where you live, many factors can take a hit on your mileage including:

-Very cold temperatures

-Snowy/slushy roads and/or winter traffic

-Defroster usage (A/C is automatic with defroster unless you turn it off manually)

-Low tire pressure

-Long idle/warmup times

-New Phase II reformulated gasoline

See the chart at the bottom of this link for more info:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/rfgecon.htm

caviller

>>Yes, the 200K-odd vehicle owners who respond to thes surveys are simply "mere statistical analysis." I'd rather rely on a good old salesman speil any day ! <<

Grplavloff-

I think what miniman was saying is that the problems that may plague the '99 Odyssey might not be serious engine/transmission type issues. Instead, they may be electrical issues like the power doors or recall repairs that may be annoying but not serious or causing breakdowns on the road. The brakes category is of some concern, however.

Out of curiousity, does the website show how the categories like "Engine", "Transmission", "Cooling", "Fuel" and "Ignition" are doing? Otherwise, I suspect miniman may be right as to which problems are dragging down the overall reliability.

billg7

The reason there are large variations in the reported mileage on this board of the Odyssey is probably, IMO, due mainly to the fact that there is a wide variance between the city and highway mileage of the Odyssey. Consumers Reports in their June 1999 issue reports that they got 12 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway for the Odyssey.

So that seems to say if you drive 100% in the city, expect 12mpg. If you drive 100% on the highway, expect 33mpg, and that is in the range of values for gas mileage that people on this board have been reported.

The reason the Odyssey does poorly in the city is that it weighs 4245 pounds and heavy cars,or anything else that is heavy, do not get good gas mileage in stop and go driving as their weight is being constantly brought to a stop and then re accelerated and that takes a lot of energy to accomplish that.

Like that edit button, Just saw it and fixed at least a few of the errors in my post

makersmark

Quick question for EX owners. After looking at pictures in the Honda Odyssey brochure, it appears that you can turn off the power sliding door feature? So the owner has the option to manually shut the door? If so, does that create a lot of wear and tear on the power door? Thanks in advance.

auburn63

If you maintain a speed that is no faster than the door would shut with power normaly then the answer to your queston would be, no it will not create extra wear. However if the door is operated faster than intended then it can cause damage to the gear teeth and/or the rev sensor.

miniman

You are correct in interpreting my intent (Post #1014) regarding CR and statistics. No vehicle is perfect (no, not even Honda). And, statistics are statistics. So, would you rather a van whose owners write 'my head gasket fails' and thus get poor engine score or 'my power sliding door malfunctioned on occasion' and get a poor rating of body hardware/electrical? To the best of my knowledge CR does not pro-rate defective areas (eg transmission failure equals 3 or 4 door won't close right complaints). So, essentially pick your poison. Taurus engine or door latch recall. I would prefer neither, but will take the later.

binkybarnes - on your millenium, shmellenium post - you need a beer. Now that's an idea for Honda service Dept. You won't be driving home since you dropped of your vehicle, so why not one on the house, and suddenly the fuel gauge problem is not so bad... (Problem is that the Bud tap begins to look like the 10W30 tap after a few drinks and... no, that wouldn't be good.)

Last thought - this forum is getting awfully long, never seen them get into the thousands before but I am not complaining. It's good not to have to find the latest Odyssey forum number. Trying to keep up w/ the Superbowl #'s!

rseitz

We just had our Odysee EX 2000 (22,100mi)in for the 5th time (!!!) to repair/check the power doors. They get stuck, don't shut right, one does not open at all in the morning when it is cold outside (but we live in VA and it is not all that cold). In addition to the trouble with the automatic doors the transmission was acting up. I told the dealer to check it. He called me back and told me that the car needed a new transmission. I really did not expect all that trouble when I bought this car new in Set. 99.
I will be sending out letters to the regional Honda office and the dealership to take advantage of my lemon law rights.
Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

miniman

Sorry to hear your pain. Problem on lemon laws is that you may have missed. In our state, problem must surface in year-one and dealer has a few tries (I think 2) or a given time interval to fix it within that first year. Even if several problems are fixed while the van is in the shop for a short period of time, we cannot lemon law them. Check your state laws (probably on the Web, that's where I read my state's laws). Even w/ lemon law invoked, they then buy back the van minus milage and age, so you will end up out a few thousand $ if you then buy a new van.

I had door prpblems. Honda zone office called me at work to follow up on the repairs after I wrote to them to complain. The dealer called the tech line during the repair, and for a problem that occurred every other day, having gone 1 1/2 weeks w/o a recurrance yet is cause for cautious optimism. Thus, doors can probably be fixed, just lean on Honda and the dealership to do it right. Transmission problem is disappointing, perhaps try to get them to extend your warranty too.
Good luck.

drew_

In the past, we used to have to break the topics up after 500+ posts because the old software (Well Engaged) had problems after that #. However, with this new software (Web Crossing), we no longer have to switch start new sections since it doesn't have any issues with large amounts of posts in a discussion topic. CNN (among many others) uses Web Crossing as well, and many of their discussion topics have over 500,000 posts! Good thing that we don't have to start the new sections since everyone would have to resubscribe to the new topic.


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sfearing

I've got to tell you about this place in MD that may be an inexpensive choice for those who want leather seats - BG Interiors. I'm not sure what they're charging for vans, but for sedans the price cost is very reasonable ($845 for all of the seats/headrests). I think they can also do individual seats as well. For a bit more they can do two-tone. Their email is bgsautointeriors@aol.com. Here are some links with pictures of a Legend interior:

 http://hometown.aol.com/bgsautointeriors/91LEGREAR.JPG

 http://hometown.aol.com/bgsautointeriors/91LEGREAR2.JPG

dhawk27

Just got off the phone with Dave Campfield of Burne Honda following recommendations of a couple of previous posters. Feel like I've found the place I'm looking to deal. However, the 800 # that I used from previous post is incorrect. If anyone else is interested, the correct number is 1-800-822-2110. More later.
de Hawkeye

wml7c

Hello Everyone, new to the Town Hall. After much deliberation and research, just ordered a 2001 Ody EX w/NAV. Production scheduled for February. The dealer gave me some information regarding a third party extended warranty. Anyone have/had any experience with these products? Are they worth the investment? I plan to keep the Ody for 5+ years and will average 15K miles per year. Thanks to Edmund's for this format.

grplavloff

Caviller -

"Out of curiousity, does the website show how the categories like "Engine", "Transmission", "Cooling", "Fuel" and "Ignition" are doing?"

The survey results for the `99 Odyssey showed four problem areas. They were as follows, with percentage ranges (I rounded to nearest whole pct) for each one: brakes, 5-9% ; electrical, 9-15% ; "integrity" - 9-15% ; hardware, > 15%

The survey results for the `99 Dodge Grand Caravan showed a total of 3 problems, all in the 5-9% range: suspension, "integrity", and hardware.

The `99 Toyota Sienna results were better yet: hardware, 5-9% .

I realize that there are some people here whose egos are caught up in their car-purchasing decisions and thus are very defensive about the Odyssey. But the plain-and-simple fact is that the Odyssey just hasn't proven to be a very reliable vehicle. that doesn't mean that it isn't a very good choice for other reasons.

I agree with the argument that reliability is not likely to hurt resale value for someone keeping their car for a long time. It is also true that the vast majority of reliability problems in any vehicle do not cause injury or death.

The major concern over reliability for many of us is simply the time it takes to deal with problems: the vehicle has to be hauled over to the dealer. Most problems are taken care of in a day. Some aren't. Ironically, these tend to be at opposite ends of the spectrum: catastrophic problems, such as transmission failure, or insidious little ones like a partially functioning automatic sliding door for which you have to go back 2,3,4 times before it is finally fixed. Electrical problems tend to fall into this category. Given all that, the categories of the reliability problems are not, in most cases, as important as the overall frequency. That, at least, is the case if you are busy and your schedules are full.

grplavloff

"My 2001 van is relatively new (600miles) but I can't believe how horrible the mileage is. In mostly city driving its getting between 13 and 14 MPG - and I'm not hard on the accelerator. "

You are pushing a 4300+ lb vehicle, excluding yourself and any other contents, in stop-and-go driving. There is no magic here.

caviller

grplavloff-

"But the plain-and-simple fact is that the Odyssey just hasn't proven to be a very reliable vehicle."

I don't disagree. This is not the point. The point is what types of problems, and if they have been resolved. Indeed, if miniman is right, many of these issues have had recalls, and/or may have been fixed for 2000 or 2001.

The subscriber is ultimately responsible for categorizing problems on the survey, so this is all speculation anyway. Still, the '99 was a first year model and based on the types and frequency of reports on forums like this one, it does seem like mimiman may be correct.

"Given all that, the categories of the reliability problems are not, in most cases, as important as the overall frequency."

I don't always agree. Casastropic areas like those I mentioned (engine, transmission, ignition, etc) may not only be a safety hazard, but often require immediate attention. Other areas like "Hardware" often have problems that can be resolved on the next service visit, and are merely annoying in the meantime. None of this is to defend the '99 Odyssey's reliability record.

Thanks for passing on the information!

grplavloff

"I don't always agree. Casastropic areas like those I mentioned (engine, transmission, ignition, etc) may not only be a safety hazard, but often require immediate attention. "

That's why I said "most cases."

adobeman

I'll be picking up a 2001 EX next week after a very short wait of less than 2 weeks. The dealer didn't add any extras and is actually charging slightly less than sticker. It sounds too good to be true.... compared to what I have read about other people's waits and prices.

I have heard you need to be sure that the vehicle was actually produced for sale in the US. Other than the sticker, How do you verify this ?

The dealer actually mentioned that all his are produced for the US before I even asked. He said the "nonUSA" one's auto climate controls read out in degrees I and can't be changed to degrees F. That didn't sound right to me since every car I have had with a digital hemp can be either I or F.

Anyone have any comments/advice ??

Thanks

caviller

'"That's why I said "most cases."'

That's the issue we're debating. Is Odyssey (at least for 1999) one of those cases where the type of problems is important (as in post #1014), or is it just not a very reliable vehicle in general. As you stated, key competitors are doing much better for that year anyway, so for used car buyers, it probably wouldn't make a difference if it is one of those cases or not.

adobeman-

I think Odysseys sold in Canada also have DRLs and heated mirrors. Someone might also confirm if they have a different VIN numbering system. You could always get the VIN from your dealer and see if you can call Honda to confirm it is a USA warrantied vehicle. I also wonder if the MSRP/options label will be different. The bottom of mine lists a port of entry (Buffalo) and delivery point, as well as US-specific info like 50-state emissions and a notice that US Law prohibits alteration of the label. You may not get the USA warranty book, either.

I think the only reason to stay away from a model made for sale in Canada is the lack of a Honda warranty valid at all USA dealers. Otherwise, the van is identical, and has a few extra minor features. From what I've read, most Canadian-spec models sold in the USA have had their speedos changed to read in mph so that shouldn't be an issue.

grplavloff

"You could always get the VIN from your dealer and see if you can call Honda to confirm it is a USA warrantied vehicle. ...."

If Honda allows its dealers to discriminate against Canadian Odysseys it would be totally irresponsible of the company not to verify vins for prospective customers.

I live in Buffalo. I've thought of buying a Sienna or an Odyssey in Canada and simply taking it there for service. The Sienna would probably be the better choice for something like this, tho.

grplavloff

"So, would you rather a van whose owners write 'my head gasket fails' and thus get poor engine score or 'my power sliding door malfunctioned on occasion' and get a poor rating of body hardware/electrical? To the best of my knowledge CR does not pro-rate defective areas (eg transmission failure equals 3 or 4 door won't close right complaints)...."

CR does classify problem areas, so you can pick a car with those that look the least odious to you. Some are probably ambiguous. For instance, brakes are a problem area on the `99 Odysseys. That conjures up all sorts of scary , like slamming into a truck in an intersection. Then again, the problem may be noise or something else reasonably benign. This is where partisanship comes into play :-)

jamescanine

I generally change my oil every 3000-3500 miles or at about 4-5 months. What have others been told regarding the first oil change for a new Odyssey? I just can't bring myself to wait until 7500 miles or 6 months eventhough the original oil is supposed to be a special formulation. I would like to do the first change myself (probably around 3000), but can't find any 5W20. The manual says that 5W30 will suffice, but would prefer to go with the first recommendation of 5W20. Has any do-it-yourselfers found a good place to get the 5W20? Besides the dealership? What is the cost? Appreciate any comments.

aerocruise

I changed the filter only on my 01 LX at 2,500 miles, just in case the "special formulation oil" is a factual claim by Honda. The reason- I'm uncomfortable with those metal machining bits lapping in my pistons and finding their way into bearings.Before screwing on the filter, refill it with a quality 5-30 weight,check your levels,and drive.I'm not worried about the new 14 ounces of oil not being the special stuff.

aerocruise

My new LX during this past week has twice had this problem- the noise is horrible and makes a sound like a frozen wheel bearing. In one instance, I had to remove the wheel, tap the shield to dislodge it. The rotors don't appear to get scratched, but the noise turns heads. The first time it happened, I knew what it was because it has happened 4 or 5 times on my 92 Accord... but that's during 180K miles over the same roads. Wonder if any one else has experienced this.I believe my winter snow tires are probably grabbing the stones, but Honda need to reconfigure their shield design because it has never happened to my GM vehicles.

billg7

The Honda site, (provided by Honda for owners of their vehicles), says the first oil change should follow the book which under severe conditions is 3750 miles. So you can change the oil at that time.

cwright4

I'd like to install a hitch on my 2000 Odyssey. So far I've found bageco.com (a round tube hidden hitch) and etrailer.com (looks like a square one). Does anyone have a recommendation as to which may be better? I want to use it to install a bike rack (hopefully for 5 bikes)
Thanks for the help.

bg18947

My interpretation of the 1999-2000 Odyssey Service Manual is the last 6 digits are the serial number. I believe anything from 000001-499999 is reserved for the Canadian market, and from 500001 through 999999 is reserved for the US Market. This is the six digit number that follows the H - which indicates the Canadian manufacturing plant.

bg18947

My experience:

The paint application on the Hidden Hitch Round Tube is better than a Draw-Tite Square type. (Doesn't mean this applies to all square types.) I have the Round tube on my 2000 Odyssey and had a Draw-Tite on my 1996 Blazer which was traded in. The Hidden Hitch will be shipped to you without a box from Bageco and will get scratched, I touched it up with Rustoleum before installation. Remember, this is just a hitch and will eventually rust anyway.

I bought the hitch for carrying bikes as well. I'm also using it as protection in case I get rear-ended, even though it is rather low. I figure with a short extension and a hitchball, it should offer enough protection. Roof-mounting a bike rack is a bad idea on minivan's and SUVs. Even if the bike weighs less than 18 lbs., it can be a struggle. Plus, you don't want to forget low-clearance situations which could snap your seatpost, or worse, your entire roof.

I've also applied reflective tape on the back of the hitch for added visibility. I also put tape on the inside of the tailgate and all parts of the inside of alll 4 doors.

The only drawback to the hitch is it reduces your rear angle of approach or departure when dealing with any graded surface, which I'm sure you are aware of already. I also use my hitch with an aluminum hitch-haul for carrying big things I don't want inside the van.

cliffyb

The Oddysey is a mini-van. That said, Mini-vans have more problems than sedans so... no, it will never be the "accord of mini-vans". Consumers reports rates the Oddysey as their top mini-van because of features and reliability. The Toyota has a little better reliability, but falls short in other areas. All I can say to those who whine about trivial things going wrong with their Oddysey's is be glad you do not own a Chrysler van. If you don't belie me than go to the message boards for the Caravan's or Town and Country. It's group therapy for inconsolable souls. If you think you are getting 13mpg than something is wrong.

cwright4

Thanks for the advice. I'll go with the hidden hitch. One more question: Am I pushing it with a five bike rack? Initially, I'll be carrying three full size bikes and two kids bikes. What type/size rack did you get?

grplavloff

"[CR rates] The Toyota has a little better reliability, but falls short in other areas. "

The Toyota's reliability is *significantly* better.

"All I can say to those who whine about trivial things going wrong with their Oddysey's is be glad you do not own a Chrysler van. If you don't belie me than go to the message boards for the Caravan's or Town and Country. "

There are something like 15-20 times as many of those on the road as there are Odysseys, so you would expect 15-20 times more posts in the complaint boards if all else was equal. In reality, the ratio is much smaller.

jmurman42

The Odyssey and other Honda autos, with the exception of the Passport, go a little longer for the first oil change. Honda likes to have the car go at least 4-4,500 miles for the first change or 4 months. The reason for this initial length is therte are additives the Honda puts into the oil and they want them to work through the engine.

Hope this helps.

miniman

I have read in the details of CR's statistical analysis, that the difference between close ratings is small; the big issue is the difference across a span of several levels (eg better than average vs worse than average; better than average vs average, or average vs worse than average is very close call in terms of the marginal difference).
I will offer kudos (and my purchasing $$) to the company that succeeds in matching quality, features and safety in the mix I prefer (not necessarily in that order). In 1999, Honda was king. Maybe not in 2003-7 when most of us current Odyssey owners return for a new van. Performance on rating scales is fluid, and can vary from vehicle to vehicle and year to year for a manufacturer. Quality standards were tapped by Honda to gain entry into US market which began with the joke-like CVCC in an era when most everyone drove monster-sized American cars. Now look at Honda. I stil have faith in my Odyssey, and expect it to provide years of trouble-free service. I am not married to any manufacturer or country of origin, and will spend my future purchase dollars as wisely in the future as in the past. If they fail their customers, they will have a glut of vehicles in the future and some other manufacturer will have the waiting lists.
Hope they do not let us all down on this van; only time will tell.

bg18947

Best Value: Performance Bike Shop's 2" receiver units. They have different models, 2,3,4 bikes. I think they offer an extension to make 5.

I've got mostly Yakima equipment, but the Performance value is hard to ignore. I've got an older unit that did not fold down. If I'm not mistaken the new units do fold down. It doesn't have the fancy lock system like a Yakima/Thule, but it does the trick.

I can't justify paying $300+ for a Yakima/Thule hitch unit when the Performance functions just as well without all of the bulk. It is pretty simple to use as well. I go back to the LaPreAlpina bike rack days of the early 80s before Yakima came on the seen. Racks have come a long way.

grossds

On vans produced for sale in Canada, the climate control system will register temperature in centigrade instead of degrees. Canadian vehicles also have heated mirrors and daytime running lights (required in Canada).

I've done a little research on the Canadian vs. US Odyssey and have satisfied myself that odometer issue mentioned in earlier posts on this board is a non-issue with respect to the vans offered by the broker I am talking with. The vans are imported by a licensed auto importer and the speedometer switch is done under Washington State Patrol supervision. Kilometers on the original odometer are converted to miles and the new odometer is advanced to reflect those miles. The State Patrol signs off on the change and the new odometer, as well as the title, accurately reflect vehicle mileage at the time of transfer.

I am satisfied that the switch over is done legally and that the vehicle title will accurately reflect actual mileage. Unless there are problems with the odometer later in the car's life, there should be no problems certifying that the mileage on the odometer accurately reflects mileage on the vehicle.

The other issue mentioned, dealing with US Honda dealers refusing to honor the manufacturer's warranty, is more problematic, and I am still investigating.